‘One day at a time’: Maury County tornado survivors describe heartache of losing their home
MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — An EF3 tornado hit house after house Wednesday night in Maury County.
For the Bills family, this tornado was the last thing they needed after losing their loved one so suddenly.
“Couldn’t believe it,” Sandy Rollins, a friend of a tornado survivor, described. “Could not. I mean I’ve seen two, 300-year-old trees just uplifted. I mean, it’s like I said, I’ve seen it one million times on TV, but it doesn’t do it justice. This whole neighborhood is gone.”
Volunteers collecting donations for tornado survivors
Rollins told News 2 he was watching the news as the EF3 blew through Maury County.
“The first call I got was my best friend Rob Bills who lost his house, and he told me he said, ‘It’s gone.'”
Bills rode out the storm from underneath the stairs as the tornado ripped his house apart.
“He told me, ‘A couple more minutes and I don’t even think the door would’ve stood it,'” Rollins recalled.
“You come out and your whole kitchen is gone,” Bills said. “It was very, very hard.”
His niece, Jessica Reaves, told News 2 that this house is unlike any other. It has been home to so many family members.
Reaves explained that her grandmother lived in the house for years before passing. Bills, his wife Lisa, and their daughter have also lived in that house along Old Highway 99 for years, but this last March, Reaves’ aunt Lisa died unexpectedly.
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“She kind of went septic, and that was it suddenly,” Reaves said. “So we kind of packed up a little bit of her stuff, but all of her stuff was in the living room that’s no longer there.”
Reaves said her aunt’s ashes were on the kitchen table and were blown into the yard by the tornado.
“Thankfully we recovered all of that,” Reaves explained. “But it’s just been a lot to go through and it’s a lot at the moment.”
“Traumatic,” Rollins described as he recalled the whole night. “It still is. I’m feeling it. I know he’s still feeling it.”
Bills said the thought of rebuilding is overwhelming, so for now, he explained how insurance covers a month’s stay in a hotel, but he is still not sure as far as what comes next.
“Right now, we’re just trying to get everything salvageable out of the house and just take it one day at a time,” Bills said.
“These people are hurting,” Rollins expressed. “Anything, anything can help.”
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The family said they have had so many people coming to offer food or resources.
On Friday, volunteers with the Red Cross went from house to house, offering affected residents water, tarps, or buckets filled with necessary supplies, like gloves, trash bags, and flashlights.
“I just hope that people are able to get their lives back together,” disaster responder Michael Wiley said. “I mean, these are life-changing events.”
A representative with the Red Cross told News 2 that the organization’s primary focus Friday, May 10, was reaching out to community partners to maintain shelters for unhoused survivors.
“What was important to me is that we unite with Maury County, the mayors, and the emergency management and work together as a team,” Loriann Tinajero, executive director of the Red Cross’ Tennessee River Chapter, said.
Two Maury County residents were also out in the community helping their neighbors.
Jessica Francis and Katie Cooper filled their car with donuts, hot dogs, snacks, and drinks to give out to survivors.
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“This is our hometown,” Francis and Cooper said. “God gave us the ability to help and even though we might not have the money, we do have time and support and all the things. It’s a great community. It’s a small community. You know, when something like this happens, people gather around and it’s amazing to watch it happen.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Bills and his family rebuild.
If you are a tornado survivor and have yet to be contacted by the Red Cross, or if you would like to donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
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